Portable visual board assembly



Sept. 19, 1961 c. A, WELCH 3,000,115

PORTABLE VISUAL BOARD ASSEMBLY Filed Jan. 31, 1958 )5 l 46 M 46 v 24 h. h. i4 ll. [5

Inventor CIifford welch aq-lrkorngg United States Patent 3,000,115 PORTABLE VISUAL BOARD ASSEMBLY Clifford Welch, 139 Atherwood Ave., Redwood City, Calif. Filed Jan. 31, 1958, Ser. No. 712,487 Claims. (Cl. 35-60) My invention relates to an improved portable allpurpose visual board assembly.

Visual boards have long been in use as an aid for instruction in the classroom, and for meetings generally. The visual boards heretofore used have been rigid structures that are necessarily large and cumbersome. Many difficllties are encountered when it is desired to transport the visual board from one point to another because of this unwieldy bulk. The same difiiculties are present whenthe rigid visual boards of the prior art are stored.

The board assembly of my invention incorporates the feature of compactness for storage and transportation with the required rigidity when in use without the necessity for special braces, releasable fastenings, etc. normally associated with foldable items. This is achieved by forming a frame assembly with a pair of parallel complement-ary faces. The supports for the visual board are hinged on this frame with the pivot line of the hinge intermediate the ends of the supports and along the upper outside edge of said faces of the frame. The board is releasably mounted between the upper ends of the supports in which position it prevents the supports from pivoting toward each other while the portions of the supports below the pivot line contact the faces of the frame to prevent the supports from pivoting away from each other. This gives a solid support for the board. Yet, merely removing the board from the supports allows them to pivot down against the frame for compactness in storage or transportation. It can readily be seen that the improved portable all-purpose visual board assembly incorporates novel features which are of practical and economic utilization.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved portable all-purpose visual board assembly which can be conveniently carried and stored.

It is another object of the present invention to eliminate transportation difliculties that are associated with bulky and cumbersome rigid visual board assemblies by pivoting the legs of the present invention to the side faces of the frame so that the legs may be folded over the top of the frame for convenient carriage.

It is still another object of the present invention to facilitate economic use of storage space by providing legs which fold over the top of the frame to permit stacking.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a portable all-purpose visual board assembly which is rigidly sustained in the erect position by a force exerted by the visual board to prevent inward collapse of the legs and by a force exerted by the side of the frame to prevent outward spreading of the legs.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a low cost, light weight, simple and readily manufactured portable all-purpose visual board assembly that is rigid in the erect position and is foldable for easy transportation and storage.

The novel features which I believe to be characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. My invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one form of the of the legs.

3,000,115 Patented Sept. 19, 1961 portable all-purpose visual assembly of the present invention in the erected position;

FIGURE 2 is a reversed top plan view of the foldable parts of the unit of FIGURE 1 in the folded position for carrying and storage;

FIGURE 3 is an end view of the illustrated embodiment in the erect position; and

FIGURE 4 is a front elevational view of the portion of the embodiment at one end thereof.

In FIGURE 1, B represents the frame, VB represents the visual board which is mounted and ready for use. The legs L are flared in configuration (seen best in FIG- URES 2 and 3) at the base but are molded into a triangular configuration as the eye moves from the base to the tip. The visual board VB is rectangular in nature as is the frame B.

Referring to the drawing, the frame B is composed of a top surface 10, a bottom surface 12, and side faces 14. The side faces 14 are vertical and join the top surface 10 to define a pair of parallel corner edges 15. The frame B in FIGURE 1 is represented as a storage box, which is one of the many functions that the frame may perform, but it is not limited to this. Doors 16 are hinged at 18 and when in the closed position are held shut by latches 20. If chalk, erasers, etc. are needed that are stored in the box, a rotation of latches 20 and the exertion of an outward force on knobs 22 will cause the hinged doors to drop.

Legs L are pivotally connected to the frame B by hinges 24. The hinges are secured to the inboard surface of each leg and the top 10 of the frame so that the axis of pivot of the leg lies substantially on the edges 15. In the erected position the legs are prevented from spreading outward by the force exerted by the vertical side face 14 on the portion 28 of the leg below the pivot point. The lowermost portions of the legs L form feet 26.

The portion 30 of each leg L above the pivot point has a trunnion-receiving configuration which may be a slot, as shown at 32 in FIGURE 2. The purpose of slot 32 is to support trunnion 34 which is attached to each side of visual board VB. In this manner the visual board VB is mounted on the legs L. The trunnions 34 have shoulders 36 which bear against the inside surface of the upper portion 30 of the legs. Thus, when the visual board assembly is in the erect position with the visual board in position between the legs, the board exerts an outward force on the pivotable legs to hold the bottom portions 28 of the legs against the sides 14 of the frame and sustains the visual board assembly rigidly in the erect position. i

The distance between the axis of pivot of the leg, defined by hinge 24, and the end of the upper portion 30 of leg L is less than one-half the length of frame B. The distance between hinge 24 and the end of the lower portion 28 of leg L is greater than the lengthof side 14 of frame B. In this manner, when the assembly is in the folded position (FIGURE 2), the upper portions 30 of legs L do not come into contact with one another. Also, with the length of the bottom portions 28 of legs L greater than the length of the sides 14 of frame B, the: bottom surface 12 of frame B is spaced from the surface upon which the feet 26 rest.

When the assembly is in the folded position (FIGURE 2) legs L lie on the top surface 10 of frame B. To prevent the legs from unfolding while the assembly is being carried, a clasping means is provided. One form this may take is comprised of hook 38 and eye 40. The hook 38 is mounted at 42 on the upper portion '30 of one Eye 40 is mounted on the upper portion 30 of the other leg, so that when the legs are folded, hook 38 will fit through eye 40, thus preventing the legs from unfolding.

One method of carrying the assembly is by providing a grip handle 44 that is secured by screws (not shown) to an elongated side of the frame B. The handle 44 is connected mid-way between the sides 14 of the frame. In this manner, the folded assembly may be carried like a suitcase.

If the folded assembly is to be stored, pads 46 mounted on the outboard face of the upper portion 30 of legs L provide the point of contact on the surface on which the assembly is to be supported for storing, thus keeping the legs L spaced from this surface.

The legs L and frame B may be composed of any lightweight material, preferably plywood.

If the portable all-purpose visual board assembly is to be moved from'one location to another, the steps to reduce the assembly to its minimum volume are quite simple. Visual board VB is removed by lifting upwards. This action removes the trunnions 34 from the slots 32 and releases the pressure outward that shoulders 36 exert against the upper portion 30 of legs L. Legs L are then folded toward the center of frame B by rotating them about the axes of hinges 24 which lie substantially on the edges 15 formed by the intersection of top surface 10 and side faces 14 of frame B. When the legs L rest upon top surface 10 of frame B, hook 38 is slipped through eye 40 to secure the legs in this position. Handle 44 provides an easy mode of carrying the folded assembly. Pads '46 provide a neat and clean method of storage. To put the assembly into the erect position again, the reverse procedure should be followed. While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of the present invention it will, of course, be understood that various modifications and alternative constructions may be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. 1 therefore intend by the appended claims to cover all such modifications and alternative constructions as fall within their true spirit and scope.

What I claim as new and Patent is:

a 1. In a portable all-purpose visual board assembly, the improvement comprisingrmeans defining an elongated storage box with a flat top and vertical side faces each having a top corner edge; complementary legs having means pivotally securing the legs to the side faces of the box, respectively, each leg being pivotable about an axis substantially on one of the said top edges between a folded position flat on top of the box and an erect position seated against said faces to resist spreading, each leg having a trunnion-receiving conformation .at its upper end, the distance between the axis of pivot and the upper end of each leg being less than one-half the length of the box, and the distance between the axis of pivot and the lower end of each leg being greater than the depth of the box; and a visual board having trunnions adapted to be. received in the trunnion-receiving configurations of the legs, respectively, and defining shoulders bearing against the legs, respectively, to sustain the legs in erect position and to support the assembly on a fiat surface.

2. In a portable all purpose visual board assembly, the improvement comprising: an elongated frame having a top and a pair of vertical sides each having a top corner edge; a pair of legs, each leg being pivotally connected at a point between its ends to theframe to swing about an axis parallel to and substantially on one of the edges, the portion of the leg extending below the axis of pivot of the leg being longer than the vertical side, whereby the legs are swingable betweena folded position along the top of the frame and an erect position against the vertical sides to resist spreading; a visual board having conforma tions on opposed sides adapted to be received between the legs when in the erect position with said conformations bearing against the legs to sustain the legs in the erect position; and means on the upper portions-of the legs to sustain the visual board.

desire to secure by Letters 3. In a portable ail-purpose visual board assembly, the improvement comprising: means defining an elongated storage box with a flat top and vertical side faces each having a top corner edge; complementary legs having means pivotally securing the legs'to the side faces of the box, respectively, each leg being pivotable about an axis substantially on one of the said edges between a folded position flat on top of the box and an erect position seated against said faces to resist spreading, each leg having a trunnion-receiving conformation at its upper end, the distance between the axis of pivot and the upper end of each leg being less than one-half the length of the box, and the distance between the axis of pivot and the lower end of each leg being greater than the depth of the box; a visual board having trunnions adapted to be received in the trunnion-receiving configurations of the legs, respectively, and defining shoulders bearing against the legs, respectively, to sustain the legs in erect position and to support the assembly on a flat surface; and a handle connected to an elongated side of the box situated midway between the two legs so that the assembly may be carried.

' 4. In a portable all-purpose visual board assembly, the improvement comprising: means defining an elongated storage box with a flat top and vertical side faces each having atop corner edge; complementary legs having means pivotally securing the legs to the side faces of the box, respectively, each leg being pivotable about an axis substantially on one of the said edges between a folded position flat on top of the box and an erect position seated against said faces to resist spreading, each leg having a trunnion-receiving conformation at its upper end, the distance between the axis of pivot and the upper end of each leg being less than one-half the length of the box, and the distance between the axis of pivot and the lower end of each leg being greater than the depth of the box; a visual board having trunnions adapted to be receivedrin the trunnion-receiving configurations of the legs, respectively, and defining shoulders bearing against the legs, respectively, to sustain the legs in erect position and to support the assembly on a flat surface; a handle connected to an elongated side of the box situated midway between the two legs so that the assembly may be carried; and each leg'further having releasable attaching means operative with respect to the other to secure the same in the folded position.

5. A visual board assembly comprising a frame assembly including a pair of side members and means attached to said side. members and extending therebetween to fixedly position said side members in generally vertical parallel planes in which position each side member has an outboard top corner edge with said edges being parallel with aportion of said side members extending below said edges; a pair of supporting members, each of said supporting members being pivotally attached intermediate the ends thereof to said frame assembly for rotation about an axis substantially along one of said edges, respectively, whereby when said supporting members are in a generally vertical position a portion of the supporting members will extend below said edges and will abut said side members to prevent further pivotal movement of the supporting members away from each other and an upper portion of said supporting members will extend above said frame assembly, said supporting members having parts on the upper portion thereof spaced a given distance apart when said supporting members are vertical; a visual board having conformations on opposed sides spaced about said given distance apart; and means to releasably mount said board between said supporting members with said conformations bearing against said parts of the supporting members to prevent the supporting members from rotating toward each other when said board is between the supporting members; said portions below the top corner edge, in operative position of one of said pairs of members extending below said edges 5 6 a greater distance than do the similar portions of the 599,402 Richter Feb. 22, 1898 other pairs of members to form feet for said assembly; 739,852 Gerstbacher Sept. 29, 1903 whereby to transport or store said assembly, said board 1,479,654 Emmons Jan. 1, 1924 may be removed from between said supporting members 1,530,442 Tint Mar. 17, 1925 and said supporting members may be folded substantially 5 2,397,405 'Burkeman Mar. 24, 1946 horizontally across said frame assembly. 2,414,490 Speaker Jan. 21, 1947 References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS UNITED STATES PATENTS ,1 F A 1 275,598 Crandall Apr. 10, 1883 10 556 85 mm pr 9 923 

